


Speculum mortis

by Warlock_Nerd



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Clary Fray & Alec Lightwood Friendship, Crying, Crying Magnus Bane, Death, Emotionally Hurt Magnus Bane, Family, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Ghosts, Hurt Magnus Bane, M/M, Magical Artifacts, Other, Protective Alec Lightwood, Sad, Spirits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-10
Updated: 2018-05-10
Packaged: 2019-05-04 20:19:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14600931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Warlock_Nerd/pseuds/Warlock_Nerd
Summary: A powerful magical item has been found but... what does it do?Magnus, Clary, Izzy and Alec find out exactly what it does and it ends in tragic heartbreak.





	Speculum mortis

There was a knock at the door.

Alec looks up from his paperwork, “Enter.” He commands.

The door swings open and two shadowhunters come wondering in. Both bold and muscular. One with an angelic rune burned in the centre of his neck. It wrapped around his throat like a scarf as if it sends a message to all that see him.

“Mr Lightwood, on our mission this morning we came across something interesting.” The taller one said.

Alec stood tall staring at the men, “What is it?”

“That’s the thing, sir,” Said the one with the runed neck, “We don’t know what it is.”

“Thank you for informing me. Send it in so I can examine and report it formally.” Alec voice is strong, with a tang of curiosity.

The two men leave the room, only to return with a large object that is covered with a silk cloak. Alec stares confused and a little unnerved.

“You may leave.” The head of the institute says to the other shadowhunters. The other men nod their heads before going out the door.

Alec dives into his front jean pocket, pulls out his phone and calls the one person he knows that can help.

“Magnus?”

Pause.

“I need your help with something.”

 

***

 

Now in the office is Alec, Izzy, Clary and Magnus.

They all stare at the mysterious object.

“We aren’t gonna know what it is until we de-cloak it.” Magnus tells them, stepping closer to the object.

The warlock grips onto the rag and pulls on it. The material falls to the fall with a shuffling sound.

The item is now exposed.

Everyone gasps at the sight.

It was a giant mirror.

The mirror had that patina of age over the gold frame with ancient symbols carved into the edges. At the top had a sculpted design and its aura shines a bright blue with energy.

But what confuses everyone was the glass.

When looking at the mirror, they expected to see themselves reflecting from it, but they don’t. the glass is fogged up, as if a cloud is blocking it. The cloud moves in a figure of eights as if its waiting for something to come closer.

“Woah.” Clary exclaims.

Izzy and Alec just gape while Magnus take a deep, almost exhausted, breath.

“Magnus? You okay?” Izzy says, noticing the warlock’s behaviour.

“I have seen this before. A long time ago.” Magnus tells them.

Clary’s eyebrows shoot up her forehead, “You know what this is?”

“Yes. It’s called ‘Speculum mortis’… AKA the ‘Mirror of death’.”

Izzy sighs, “Well, that sounds promising.”

“What exactly does it do?” Alec wonders.

Magnus takes a pause.

“It allows you to see your dead loved ones.”

Everyone becomes quiet.

“So… it reflects ghosts?” The female Lightwood asks unsure, “How the hell can that be possible?”

“In 1463, a group of powerful witches created a coven in memory of their mother.” Magnus begins the story, “The sisters, swallowed with grief, came up with a plan to look into the other side. They create Speculum mortis, so they could talk to their mother again. When it worked, the sisters were hunted by witch hunters and the mirror was stolen. The sisters were killed, burnt at the stake, and the mirror was assumed to be destroyed.”

“You said you’ve seen this before. When?” Clary wonders, taking a seat at the corner of Alec’s desk.

“1827. There was a discovery. A bunch of archaeologists found a tomb underground. The mirror was inside. My dear friend Ragnor Fell, brought the mirror and took it to the witches’ ancestors. I got to see it, but I never dared to use it.”

“These witches’ have ancestors?” Izzy sounds disbelieved.

“The witches in the coven had families, children. Ragnor met the sisters’ great, great, great, great grandchildren, who were witches themselves.”

Alec took a step towards the mirror, inspecting the engravings, “How did it end up in Brooklyn?”

“That, Alexander, I do not know.” Magnus explains, “Maybe the coven died out or something. I don’t know. All we know is that this mirror is very powerful and very old. It needs to go somewhere safe.”

“I’ll make a report to the Clave.” Alec goes behind the desk and picks up his pen.

“Wait.” The redhead speaks.

Everyone turns to Clary.

“Will I be able to see my mother?”

Magnus saw Alec tense up at the mention of Jocelyn. The warlock goes to the girl and places a hand on her elbow, “Biscuit, this mirror could be dangerous. We don’t know its fill level of power.”

“I just want to see her one more time… say goodbye.” Clary tears up.

Magnus looks at Izzy and Alec for help.

Izzy swoops in, “Clary, we don’t know if this mirror is the real deal. You could be talking to what you want to believe is your mother but in reality it could be something sinister.”

“Izzy is right.” Alec backs up.

“Can’t we at least try?!” The redhead lets the tears fall.

The other three looks at each other and nod.

“Okay, biscuit.”

 

***

 

Taking a deep breath, they get ready.

Clary stood in front of the mirror with the others behind her, looking intensely.

“Now what do I do?” She asks Magnus.

“Say these words:

Speculum Speculum

Ostende mihi viam,

Ostende mihi ones ut abierunt

Speculum Speculum

Permitte mihi vedere Omnes,

qui esse solebat.”

Clary repeated the Latin, and everyone was stunned when seeing the mirror turn blue and the clouded fog begin to disappear.

The outline of a figure comes in.

Then Jocelyn appears.

Her hair swimming around her as she floats there like a bird. A long grey dress covering her and her smile so bright that the sun would be jealous.

 ** _“Clary? Is that really you?”_** The ghost says. 

“H-Hi, mum.” She tries.

**_“Oh, I miss you.”_ **

“I miss you too.” Clary cries harder and Alec is trembling next to Magnus.

The warlock grasps onto the shadowhunters hand, reassuring him.

Jocelyn looks up, makes eye contact with Alec, **_“Alec.”_**

Every single heart beat in the room stops.

**_“Stop blaming yourself. You are not to blame of my death.”_ **

Alec chokes out a sob, “I am so sorry about…”

**_“Hush, now. There is nothing to be sorry for. Valentine is at fault… not you.”_ **

Alec smiles at the ghost in the mirror, “Thank you.”

**_“But please do me a favour and protect my daughter.”_ **

The shadowhunter nods.

Everyone watches as the mother and daughter say goodbye and the mirror turns clouded once again.

Alec gives Clary a hug and Magnus smiles.

He’s glad that Alec finally got some sort of peace from the experience… which got him thinking of all those he loved and outlived.

“Magnus?” Alec says, taking the warlock out of his thoughts.

The warlock smiles at his boyfriend, “Yes?”

“Why don’t you try it?”

Magnus takes a breath, “I-I don’t…”

“Magnus, it helps. You could see the one you never got the chance to say goodbye too.” Clary tells him.

Gathering up all his strength Magnus nods his head before stepping in front of the mirror.

Alec gives him a quick kiss, “I’m right here if you need me.”

Magnus smiles before turning to the glass,

“Speculum Speculum

Ostende mihi viam,

Ostende mihi ones ut abierunt

Speculum Speculum

Permitte mihi vedere Omnes,

qui esse solebat.”

The mirror turns blue and the clouds begin to spin into a figure.

A beautiful woman appears. Asian features, thin lips, short figure and long black hair.

Magnus sobs aloud.

The woman gasps loudly, her hand flying up to her mouth, **_“_** ** _Putra?”_**     (Son?)

“Mama.”

Alec’s eyes begin to water seeing his boyfriend’s mother for the first time. She was beautiful. Magnus missed her so much and Alec knew as he had to hold him through flashbacks, nightmares and breakdowns all to do with his mother’s death.

 ** _“Anda sudah dewasa.”_** She says, a tear falling from her face.     (You’ve grown.)

The shadowhunters took their steels out so that they could burn a rune into their skin to help understand the pairs convocation.

“Aku sangat merindukanmu.” Magnus cried.                      (I have missed you so much.)

 ** _“Aku sangat menyesal.”_** His mother replies, **_“Saya sangat takut_** ** _. Matamu….”_**

                         (I am so sorry.           I was so scared. Your eyes….)

Alec shuddered.

He loved Magnus’ eyes. He still can’t believe that people were afraid of something so beautiful.

“Saya mengerti.” Magnus reassures.            (I understand.)

Mother and son stare at one another for a while, smiling sweetly.

 ** _“_** ** _Aku cinta kamu.”_** Was the last thing she said before her ghost disappeared into the glass.

 (I love you)

Magnus was about to step away from the mirror before an angry voice booms out of the glass, “ ** _Raksasa!”_**             (Monster!)

Magnus knew that voice.

His child self is cringing at the anger.

Another figure appeared.

This time of a man. His stubble messy, hair slick back, old fashioned clothes and a face of pure outrage.

 ** _“Kau Raksasa! Kamu adalah alasan dia mati!”_** The man shouts.  

(You monster! You are the reason she’s dead!)

Magnus falls to the floor, on his knees, shivering uncontrollably, “Papa, saya tidak bermaksud begitu!”    (Papa, I didn’t mean to!)

Izzy and Clary cling onto to each other crying, silently watching. Alec stands frozen at the scene.

 ** _“Setan! Kamu layak masuk neraka! Aku harus menenggelamkanmu di danau itu,”_** Magnus’ step-father screams, **_“_** ** _Anda iblis kotor!”_**

(Devil! You deserve to go to hell! I should have drowned you in that lake, you filthy demon!)

“Maafkan saya, papa, Maafkan saya, Maafkan saya.” Magnus cries harder. 

(I’m sorry, papa, I’m sorry, I’m sorry)

Alec, not taking it anymore, steps in and scoops Magnus up off the floor and away from the mirror. Magnus clings to his shadowhunters shirt with all he has as he cries into the runed neck.

“Cover the mirror!” Alec order, taking Magnus towards the couch on the other side of the room.

Clary and Izzy quickly do what their told and covers the mirror with the cloth.

Alec sits down with the warlock in his lap, rubbing his back gently as he tries to calm his boyfriend down.

Izzy and Clary leave the room after Alec signals them with a look.

Once alone, Alec begins to talk, “It’s okay, Magnus. It’s okay.”

Magnus’ sobs turn into whimpers.

“Forget about him, Mags. Remember what your mum said. She loves you. She’s sorry. She is the one important, not him.”

Magnus just listens as he calms down.

“I love you Magnus. So many people love you. Your step-dad doesn’t know anything. Your mother loves you after all this, Mags. I love you. I love you so much.”

 

Soon Magnus falls asleep, exhausted.

It’s gonna take him a while to get over this but with Alec by his side, he knows that he could do anything.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Leave A Comment :3


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